Science and Technology
Amrit Grand Challenge Program" titled "JANCARE" launched

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about AmritGrand Challenge Program + about BIRAC) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of science and technology)
What's the NEWS

• The Science & Technology Ministry launched the "AmritGrand Challenge Program" titled "JANCARE" to identify 75 Start-Up Innovations in Telemedicine, Digital Health, mHealth with BIG Data, AI, Block Chain and other technologies.
• Objective - Young Startups and entrepreneurs to come out with Innovative Ideas and Solutions for India's healthcare challenges.
• Under this initiative, 75 Best Chosen Start-ups will be an asset for India to lead it in the next 25 years.

Biotech Innovators Meet

• The 10^th Biotech Innovators Meet was organised by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) in New Delhi under the theme- "Vigyan se Vikash".

• It is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise
• Set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India
• It has been established as an Interface Agency to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs.
• BIRAC has established 60 world class Bio-incubators in India. It currently engages with more than 5000 Start-ups and young entrepreneurs.
• BIRAC is an industry-academia interface and implements its mandate through a wide range of impact initiatives that help bring innovation excellence to the biotech firms and make them globally competitive.

Initiatives like

• providing access to risk capital through targeted funding
• technology transfer
• IP management
• handholding schemes

India's Bio-Economy

• Bio-Economy in India is on way to achieve 150-billion-dollar target and will contribute effectively to Prime Minister's vision of a 5 trillion-dollar economy by 2024-25.
• Sunshine Biotech Sector is also set to become more than double from current 70 billion dollar to 150 billion dollar by 2025.

Social Issues
Elder Line

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Elder Line initiative) + Mains ( GS II Social issues - steps taken by the government for the welfare of the vulnerable section of population)
What's the NEWS

• The Government of India has taken a monumental step towards addressing the challenges and problems they face, through country's first Pan-India toll-free helpline - 14567 -- called ‘Elder Line'
• It will provide free information and guidance on pension issues, legal issues, extends emotional support, and even intervenes on field in cases of abuse, and rescues homeless elderly.
• Tata Trusts and NSE Foundation, as technical partners, are jointly supporting the Ministry in operationalizing Elder Line.
• Till date, 17 states have already opened the Elder line for their respective geographies and others are in the pipeline to be opened.

Elderly population (why it is needed to support the elderlies in the country)

• India is expected to have nearly 20% elderly population i.e. over 300 million senior citizens by 2050. It is significant; as many countries have a population less than this number.
• This age group faces various mental, emotional, financial, legal and physical challenges, and the pandemic has further exacerbated it.
• It important to understand is that, this age group is a basket of wisdom and untapped resource for the overall economic and social growth of the country.

Food Processing
PMFME Scheme Seed Capital Module

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about PMFME Scheme + Seed Capital Module on DAY-NULM - MIS Portal + Mains ( GS II government policies and interventions + GS III food processing)
What's the NEWS

• The Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, in association with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, virtually launched the Seed Capital Module on Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) MIS Portal for seed capital assistance to members of urban Self Help Groups working in the food processing sector in India.

Know! about the seed capital assistance module

• The seed capital portal can be accessed by the Self Help Groups to avail the seed capital assistance of Rs.40,000 per SHG member under the PMFME Scheme.
• Urban SHG members which are engaged in Food Processing activities would be sensitized and motivated about the PMFME scheme to avail the benefits of seed capital for purchasing small tools and working capital.
• Launched under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the PMFME Scheme aims to enhance the competitiveness and promote formalization of the unorganized micro-food processing enterprises in India.

The scheme aims to empower the self-help groups by:

• Seed capital support of Rs.40,000 per SHG member;
• Credit linked subsidy for capital investment up to 35% with a ceiling of Rs. 10 lakh;
• Credit linked grantsupport up to 35% for establishing common infrastructure;
• Handholding support for DPR preparation and;
• Capacity building and training support.

Know! about the PMFME Scheme

• The Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme
• It aims to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry
• It promotes formalization of the sector and provide support to Farmer Producer Organizations, Self Help Groups, and Producers Cooperatives along their entire value chain.
• With an outlay of Rs.10,000 crore over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25, the scheme envisions to directly assist the 2,00,000 micro food processing units for providing financial, technical, and business support for upgradation of existing micro food processing enterprises.

Launch of convergence between DAY-NULM and PMFME to support Micro Food Processing Units of Urban SHGs

• Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has organised the launch event of the Convergence between PM Formalisation of Micro-food processing Enterprises (PMFME)&Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) scheme.
• Minstry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) launched PMFME scheme as a part of "Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan" to enhance competitiveness of individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment & promote formalization of this sector.
• Financial assistance in the form of Seed Capital, Credit linked subsidy for Capital investment and creation of Common Infrastructure are available to the micro-food processing industries, including those run by SHGs.
• MoHUA is implementing a flagship Scheme named DAY-NULM, which has mobilised over 61 lakhs urban poor women into SHGs and their federations.
• Out of these, approximately 32,000 SHGs have been identified by States/ UTs to be involved in Food Processing activities.
• Both the Schemes have been converged to benefit members from these SHGs.
• DAY-NULM has already signed MoUs with Amazon and Flipkart for sale of ‘SonChiraiya' products made by SHGs on market place and making efforts for helping their business and showcase their products, this initiative will further add number of products on-boarded on e-Commerce Portals.

Polity
Right to Government Aid
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about right to government aid + Minority Rights in India + Mains ( GS II Social issues - education)
What's the NEWS

• The right of an institution, whether run by a majority or minority community, to get government aid is not a fundamental right.
• Both have to equally follow the rules and conditions of the aid, the Supreme Court held in a judgment.
• The judgment came in an appeal filed by Uttar Pradesh against a decision of the Allahabad High Court to declare a provision of the Intermediate Education Act of 1921 unconstitutional.

Know! the genesis

• In 2018 Allahabad high scrapped the state's policy of outsourcing class 4 employees due to huge financial burden It held that a regulation made under the Intermediate Education Act, 1921 is unconstitutional.
• The top court set aside the High Court's decision.
• The top court upheld a 2010 policy decision of the Uttar Pradesh government to outsource appointment of Class IV employees in all state-run and aided institutions and schools.

Right to receive aid from the government - highlights of the judgment by SC

• Institutions receiving aid from the government cannot be distinguished based on their minority character
• When it comes to aided institutions, there cannot be any difference between a minority and non-minority one.
• Article 30 of the Constitution of India (dealing with rights of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions) is subject to its own restrictions being reasonable.
• A protection cannot be expanded into a better right than one which a non-minority institution enjoys.
• There cannot be a fundamental right to get an aid from the government and no institution can seek aid on its own terms.
• If an institution does not want to accept and comply with the conditions accompanying such aid, it is well open to it to decline the grant and move in its own way.
• On the contrary, an institution can never be allowed to say that the grant of aid should be on its own terms.
• The decision to provide assistance is made through policy. While doing so, the government is concerned not only about the interest of the institutions but also the ability to carry out such an exercise.
• In respect of aided institutions, no distinction can be made between minority and non-minority.

Constitutional provision

• Article 30(1): It recognizes linguistic and religious minorities but not minorities based on race, ethnicity.
• Majority community can also establish and administer educational institutions but they will not get special rights under Article 30(1)(A).

Minority Rights in India

• Article 15: prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion race cast sex or place of birth
• Article 17: prohibits untouchability
• Article 25 provides the right to practice any religion.
• Article 26 allows religious institutions to be opened.
• Article 27 provides that no person shall be forced to pay any taxes which is not mandatory.
• Article 28 provides that there shall be no religious instruction to be followed in any particular educational institutions.
• Article 29 provides that no citizen shall be denied admission in any educational institution on grounds of religion race caste.
• Article 30 provides that minority shall not be prohibited from any educational institutions.

Prelims Factoids
PM-Cares Fund
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about PM -Cares Fund)
What's the NEWS

• The Central Government informed the Delhi High Court that the PM CARES Fund "is not a Government of India fund and its amount does not go to the Consolidated Fund of India".
• Earlier, a petition filed before the High Court had sought to declare PM CARES as a 'public authority' under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
• The Government is of the view that the audit report along with the details of utilization of funds received by the Trust is placed on the official website of the Trust to ensure transparency.

Know! about PM-Cares Fund

• PM-CARES was set up as a public charitable trust with a registered trust deed on March 27, 2020
• Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) Fund has been set up to accept donations and provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic and other similar emergencies.
• It can avail donations from foreign contributions.
• It is different from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
• The Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the PM CARES Fund and the Defense Ministers, Home Ministers and Finance Ministers are the ex-officio trustees of the Government of India Fund.

Government Schemes
Swachh Survekshan 2022 Launched with ‘People First' at its Core

Relevance IN - Prelims (about 7th edition of Swachh Survekshan (SS) 2022 - highlights) + Mains ( GS II government policies and interventions)
What's the NEWS

• Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched the seventh consecutive edition of Swachh Survekshan (SS)
• The world's largest urban cleanliness survey conducted by Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U)
• Designed with ‘People First' as its driving philosophy, Swachh Survekshan 2022 is curated towards capturing the initiatives of cities for the overall welfare and well-being of frontline sanitation workers.
• In this survey, priority will be given to the talk and participation of senior citizens and youth.

Swachh Survekshan 2022 - Highlights

• It incorporates scientific indicators that motivate cities to improve working conditions and livelihood opportunities for these soldiers at the forefront of urban India's sanitation journey.
• SS 2022 will aim to capture feedback from senior citizens as an integral part of the survey.
• To ensure diversity of voices, SS 2022 will also reach out to young adults who are the future leaders of the country and the Swachhata movement.
• The survey is set to protect India's ancient legacy and culture by nudging citizens to take ownership and initiative to clean urban India's monuments and heritage spots.
• This year's Survekshan is committed to creating a level playing field for smaller cities by introducing two population categories under 15K and between 15-25K.
• To further expand the Survekshan footprint, district rankings have been introduced for the first time.
• The scope of the survey has been expanded to now cover 100% wards for sampling, as compared to 40% in previous years.
• The upcoming edition of Survekshan shall usher in improved technological interventions such as digital tracking of documents, geo-tagging of sanitation and waste management of facilities for better efficiency, and QR code-based citizens' feedback for increased people outreach.
• Through these multi-faceted initiatives, the SS 2022 framework will propel the Mission towards a circular economy approach through optimum resource recovery.

Know! about Swachh Survekshan

• Introduced by MoHUA in 2016 to rank cities on cleanliness parameters in 73 cities, Swachh Survekshan today has become the world's largest urban cleanliness survey covering over 4,000 ULBs.
• Objective: To monitor the performance of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched on 2nd October 2014 on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
• Goal: To create a spirit of healthy competition among cities towards becoming the cleanest city in India
• Organizer: Evaluates the performance of cities participating in the Quality Council of India survey.

Health
National Action Plan for dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030

Relevance IN - Prelims (about NAPRE 2030 and about Rabies)
What's the NEWS

• On the occasion of World Rabies Day today, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare unveiled the National Action Plan for dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030 (NAPRE)
• The Ministers urged all the States and UTs to make Rabies a notifiable Disease.
• The Minister also launched "Joint Inter-Ministerial Declaration Support Statement" for Elimination of Dog mediated Rabies from India by 2030 through One Health Approach.

Know! all about Rabies

• Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease. Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatal.
• In up to 99% of cases, domestic dogs are responsible for rabies virus transmission to humans.
• Rabies can affect both domestic and wild animals. It is spread to people and animals through bites or scratches, usually via saliva.
• Interrupting transmission is feasible through vaccination of dogs and prevention of dog bites.
• Globally rabies causes an estimated cost of US$ 8.6 billion per year
• 40% of people bitten by suspect rabid animals are children under 15 years of age.
• Immediate, thorough wound washing with soap and water after contact with a suspect rabid animal is crucial and can save lives.
• Engagement of multiple sectors and One Health collaboration including community education, awareness programmes and vaccination campaigns are critical.
• WHO leads the collective "United Against Rabies" to drive progress towards "Zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030".
• Rabies is present on all continents, except Antarctica, with over 95% of human deaths occurring in the Asia and Africa regions.
• Rabies is one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) that predominantly affects poor and vulnerable populations who live in remote rural locations.
• Approximately 80% of human cases occur in rural areas.
• Although effective human vaccines and immunoglobulins exist for rabies, they are not readily available or accessible to those in need.

KEEP Learning KEEP Evolving
TEAM CL IAS